# Earth or twang??



## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

This is mostly pointed at IHT, since it was something he wrote that made me pause. But I of course am looking for every opinion I can get.
In a review post for the SCdlH La Punta, IHT spoke of a BLAST of earth. Having just had one a few nights before, It hit me that he may be talking about a blast of twang, but just doesn't use the word like I do. We know that the traditional cuban flavor, known often as twang, is a direct 
by-product of the Cuban soil. So it may be that when people say earthy, they mean twangy. My first taste of "earth" was in a Padron 2000. I thought to myself, THAT is the quintissential flavor of Nicaraguan soil, blasting out of this excellent cigar. I still love all Padrons for this unique taste, and when I think of earthy, that's what I think of. I have never tasted a earthy-loamy flavor in a cuban that I can think of. But that La Punta (EAR Oct 02) was the most intense blast of twang I ever experienced in a cuban cigar. So what do you say? Is earthy, twangy, or am I missing the rich loamy flavor that you are actually talking about.


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

my version of "twang" is that tingly twang type feeling/flavor... 
when i say "earth", it's different from the "earthy" domestics, because that tastes like dirt. cuban earthy to me tastes like a better, less harsh, dirty earthy taste.

in my review, that la punta wasn't all that hot, it didn't have much of a twang, but it was really "earthy".

and since we not equating the same flavors, i can't explain it right now. if i was smoking something earthy, i'd be able to, but i'm done for the night.

good idea though, because i still want to know what "leather" tastes like. i hear of "leathery" and i think "smooth as leather feeling on your throat", or like that creamy feeling that coats your tongue... at least, that's what i "thought" they meant by leather, because i have yet to taste a cigar that is like "leather".

what i really want to know is: TOOTHY!! what in the HELL does that mean, exactly!? that's why you won't hear me say anything is "toothy", because i don't know what it is.

earthy i know, that la punta was earthy, and didn't have that "twang" that i'm use to.

we have a post about "acronyms", but some of the words we use to describe things, i still lack in my vocab. mainly "toothy". what the hell, does it bite you back? is it a rough appearance to the wrapper, sometimes they have little bumps on them??


----------



## OpusEx (Oct 31, 2003)

For my .02 I don't think they are one and the same. I think of "twang" as either an awkward moment for the cigar in my smoking it or as "pop" or gusto. I guess I also might refer to the citrusy characteristics of a cigar to be "twangy" at some point in my smoking of a cigar (like the 94 LGC #2 I had the other night, though it wasn't a tart citrus). As for the earthyness, I agree with you there, soily, sweet mud, etc., but this one is difficult to expound on.


----------



## AAlmeter (Dec 31, 1999)

toothy=bumpy wrapper from oils

http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2242&highlight=tooth


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

cool, so i guessed right on the "toothy" term.
--------
gonna go check if i have 1 la punta left...
yep, 1 left, from EAR NOV 01.

if you PM me your address, you can have it and write a review to compare our tasting notes. make it fast, as i fly out of the country on monday.


----------



## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

Ah, beat me to it.....Tooth is the little oil glands on a leaf that are often accompanied by little hair-like protrusions. It is the little sac of oil that turns to white dots on the ash as you smoke. It usually means you've got a nice oily leaf on your hands, but it can be on a bone dry textured leaf, too.

Haha, leathery...And some snobs go so far as to say "new leather" and "Old leather" as if that clears it all up, lol. I think I even sw in CA one time, Italian leather. Geez...what's next Corinthian Leather? When I say twang, I am talking about that pungent, puckery flavor that signifies real cuban tobacco, that flavor in the background that helps you identify fakes when it isn't there. When I think of "twang", that is the taste I am talking about. That certain I-Know-Not-What.


----------



## galaga (Sep 18, 2003)

IHT said:


> good idea though, because i still want to know what "leather" tastes like. i hear of "leathery" and i think "smooth as leather feeling on your throat", or like that creamy feeling that coats your tongue... at least, that's what i "thought" they meant by leather, because i have yet to taste a cigar that is like "leather".


Leathery, to me, is just the same taste that I get from Honduran cigars, slightly bittersweet. I had a Punch rare corojo tonight that was very mild in the first half but the last half was very stong in leather flavor. I guess you never chewed on the strings of your baseball mitt as a child. Next time your in a sporting goods store, find a real leather baseball glove and take a deep whiff. I haven't smoked long but I've never had any flavors or aromas remind me of earth or barnyard for that matter.


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

galaga said:


> I guess you never chewed on the strings of your baseball mitt as a child.


oh no. i played a LOT, all the way up to Legion ball, and use to chew on the strings on the back of my glove sometimes. i know what leather tastes like, and i've never had a cigar taste like that.

i've heard others say they've never tasted nuts, cinnamon, or pepper, but i know i have.

ah well, different tastes, i'm sure.


----------



## AAlmeter (Dec 31, 1999)

I use leather to describe cigars every now and then, but I never actually taste leather. For some reason the word just comes to mind. Ive never tasted earthy....if I had to make a guess, I would say my leathery is similar to your earthy. Leathery to me is a rich, warm, and somewhat organic taste/smell. Its never anything I can pick out distinctly (say, like the way I can pick out the starchy sweetness of a 1916), but just a feeling I get. I think the cigars texture also plays a role in why that comes to mind. Either that, or one of the voices is chewing on a baseball glove.


----------



## KingMeatyHand (Mar 21, 2004)

Interesting topic.

Personaly, I would define "twang" as a high frequency harshness. A negative thing. I guess the difference is I equate that word with it's audio counterpart. Think of a Telecaster (bridge pickup) running through a Fender Twin with the treble set to 10.

It seems I define earth and soil different as well. Earth, or earthy, is usually how I describe a gritty or unrefined cigar. Soil is the word I tend to use when I mean a good earthy. Right? Wrong? Dunno.

It's funny, but I taste leather very clearly in certain cigars. The little league baseball glove was a perfect example. Does it taste exactly like that?.. I have no idea, but it's the impression that the cigar has.

I try to explain a favorite Shiraz of mine as an explosion of black cherry and pepper. It doesn't really taste like cherries that have been peppered and it certainly doesn't literally explode, but that's what I "get" out of it.

Even though we all seem to have different vocabulary, I usually grasp the gist of someone's review.


----------



## Fredster (Jan 26, 2004)

The La Punta has been a regular in my humi for several years. It's not an earthy cigar to me. I guess all Cubans have to some degree, earthiness in their background , but to me it's not a dominate flavor in the La Punta. When I think of an earthy cigar, I think Partagas. Partagas and Boli are my two favs, so earthy to me is great. It's like you can almost taste the Cuban soil and an earthy taste stays with you a while. To my taste buds the La Punta has a very unique taste thats hard to describe. It's a complex mix of wood, and spices, and there is a floral undertone also. Twang to me is how I describe a complex taste that is specific to a cigar. Monte's have a sweet, earthy twang. Boli's have a spicy, leathery twang.


----------



## Bruce5 (Jul 27, 2003)

Great Topic:
I suppose there will be a lot of opinions here. I do not see twang as a negative thing, just a description of taste. I do not proclaim to be great at tasting different flavors, but examples of how I see the two words are:
.
Hoyo de Monterey usually has more of an *earthy* sweetness.
Partagas has more of a *twang*. 
.


----------



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

To me twang and earthiness are two different things.

There have been a lot of posts over on CW on how to describe twang. 
It is very hard to define, but you will know it when you taste it.

IMHO twang is a very, very good thing and is most often used when describing a cuban cigar.

More specifically, twang is something that is provided (by a cuban cigar) when it is "on" and there is a burst of flavors in your mouth. A cigar can be earthy and provide twang at the same time. I've found this in the Bolivar CJ's. Great earthy and spicy Bolivar taste with some twang.....I love em.


----------



## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

Yeah, but what does the cuban soil taste like? That is the rub. To me, I have to use my brain as a filter and think of the unique flavor that every cuban cigar shares in either a dramatic or a subtle way. That to me became the taste of cuban soil, since no other cigar producing nation has been able to replicate it, so to me, that has to be the mark of tobacco grown in cuban soil. And that unique flavor is what I have always called "cuban twang". Not to really be confused with the Monte twang, or hell, maybe that's exactly what it is. To me, I am not using twang as a descriptor, like leather, spice, pepper or nuts. I use it to describe "the one" flavor that we all know. Like when it isn't there, you say, "fakes!" Not trying to draw this thread out, we can just let it die, but like I said, That has to be the flavor of cuban soil, since it is never found in any other cigar. But my confusion came when trying to decide if by "earthy", IHT meant "cuban earth marker", or a rich soil-like taste. Different in my eyes, but in this case, something I have been curious about. But like I said, I guess twang means different things to diff. peeps.


----------



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> To me, I am not using twang as a descriptor, like leather, spice, pepper or nuts. I use it to describe "the one" flavor that we all know. Like when it isn't there, you say, "fakes!" Not trying to draw this thread out, we can just let it die, but like I said, That has to be the flavor of cuban soil, since it is never found in any other cigar.


I agree, I do use other descriptors such as earth, spice, leather and if that cuban twang is there I include it in the review also. It is not so much a dominant flavor, but just adds to the cigar....in the background....waiting.... and then BAM.....hello twang!

I have smoked some cuban cigars that did not have twang, and were flat. These weren't fakes, but just off and going perhaps going through a sick period.

This is a good thread and shows the difficulty in defining some taste descriptors. For me, part of my love for cuban cigars is that twang. Whether you are smoking a Partagas short or a Boli CJ if they are "on" that twang is there.....and I love it!


----------



## GOAT LOCKER (Aug 7, 2004)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> And that unique flavor is what I have always called "cuban twang".


That's what consider "cuban twang", it's that flavor that is unique to cuban tabacco that is immediatly recognizable.


----------



## singlguy9 (Dec 9, 2004)

The "twang" to me is pleasing, a strong punch of earth tones, usually with hints of mocha/chocolate.........but STRONGER than non-cubans can provide.

Earth tones are present in many cigars.......to me that flavor is very apparent in many honduran full-bodied blends (Punch, HdM, ERDM, etc.).

GIVEN THAT, WHAT IN THE HE$$ is LOAM!!!!!!???????


----------



## LasciviousXXX (Oct 12, 2004)

Ok guys well then is it weird that in my last review of the HDM Epi 2 that I tasted a doughy flavor? I didn't know how else to describe it, it was like a semi-sweet dough taste.

Any other gorillas provide some thoughts on what I might have been tasting?


----------



## rumballs (Mar 15, 2005)

One Lonely Smoker said:


> Ah, beat me to it.....Tooth is the little oil glands on a leaf that are often accompanied by little hair-like protrusions. It is the little sac of oil that turns to white dots on the ash as you smoke. It usually means you've got a nice oily leaf on your hands, but it can be on a bone dry textured leaf, too.


Another good description of "toothy".


----------



## Bigwaved (May 20, 2006)

This is one seems to throw some of us with less discriminatory palates, so I thought I would bring it back to life. It is a good read, imo.


----------



## Gargamel (Nov 8, 2004)

I like this post. Whenever I speak of a good Havana I use terms such as "dirty", "earthy", or "dusty". This is what I am actually tasting. That barnyard manure aroma mixed with a creamy dirty earthy goodness. This is the flavor I am always looking for. Not sure of a better way to describe it. I never understood the "twang". Twang to me brings up thoughts of "bite" and "earthy" brings up "dirty smoothness". Not sure if that makes any sense. Personally I have never had a great cigar I would describe as twangy. Semantics I guess.

Good thread...thanks for digging it up :tu


----------



## Bigwaved (May 20, 2006)

I remember another thread recently that is similar. It gets into "wet dog" as a description that may be close to what you are talking about, if I recall well enough. It is late, so I am qualifying this with a bit of slap happiness.


----------



## Gargamel (Nov 8, 2004)

Bigwaved said:


> I remember another thread recently that is similar. It gets into "wet dog" as a description that may be close to what you are talking about, if I recall well enough. It is late, so I am qualifying this with a bit of slap happiness.


I was involved in the wet dog thread. "Animal" cigars...mmmm. Party Coronas...more earthy goodness.


----------



## Bigwaved (May 20, 2006)

Gargamel said:


> I was involved in the wet dog thread. "Animal" cigars...mmmm. Party Coronas...more earthy goodness.


Yup. I remember you saying the same thing..."mmmm"


----------



## RJT (Feb 12, 2005)

AAlmeter said:


> toothy=bumpy wrapper from oils
> 
> http://www.clubstogie.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2242&highlight=tooth


:tpd:


----------



## donp (Mar 5, 2006)

Gargamel said:


> I like this post. Whenever I speak of a good Havana I use terms such as "dirty", "earthy", or "dusty". This is what I am actually tasting. That barnyard manure aroma mixed with a creamy dirty earthy goodness. This is the flavor I am always looking for. Not sure of a better way to describe it. I never understood the "twang". Twang to me brings up thoughts of "bite" and "earthy" brings up "dirty smoothness". Not sure if that makes any sense. Personally I have never had a great cigar I would describe as twangy. Semantics I guess.
> 
> Good thread...thanks for digging it up :tu


Since I have gone down the dark side I notice that I smell less of the barnyard in cc's but moreso in nc's, mostly in Pepin cigars, Camacho's etc. In cc's I smell more sweet, spicey tones. When I check my smokes in my humi's there is a definite difference between the two types. I can rarely say that I taste dirt in cigars other than in bad cigars.


----------



## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

the ERDMs I've smoked show the difference between "twang" & "earth" to me ...... at least, how I understand it to be, which may be way off base.

For me ....

El Rey Del Mundo Demi Tasse = All the twang in the world
El Rey Del Mundo NC Robusto = Earth to the N'th

(shrug) .... my two pennies in a world of pennies.


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

monsoon said:


> (shrug) .... my two penises in a world of penises.


  
say what?


----------



## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

IHT said:


> say what?


:r I had to look & see what I typed.

Damn .... was gunna give ya a bump for ***** envy, Greg, but alas ... I have done so too much.


----------



## burninator (Jul 11, 2006)

IHT said:


> say what?


Hey, we all smoke cigars for different reasons.


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

monsoon said:


> :r I had to look & see ***** envy, ... I have done so too much.


you need help, my child.

ps - just do a quick glance at your user title, it could look like "2penisesinadeadheat".


----------



## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

IHT said:


> you need help, my child.
> 
> ps - just do a quick glance at your user title, it could look like "2penisesinadeadheat".


Note to self : Do NOT piss off that who controls my user title.


----------



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

monsoon said:


> Note to self : Do NOT piss off that who controls my user title.


i think you should be able to change it now that the credits system is turned off.


----------



## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

IHT said:


> i think you should be able to change it now that the credits system is turned off.


But then I'd actually have to know how....heh.


----------



## Gargamel (Nov 8, 2004)

donp said:


> Since I have gone down the dark side I notice that I smell less of the barnyard in cc's but moreso in nc's, mostly in Pepin cigars, Camacho's etc. In cc's I smell more sweet, spicey tones. When I check my smokes in my humi's there is a definite difference between the two types. I can rarely say that I taste dirt in cigars other than in bad cigars.


Never smelled the barn in NC's. When I say the barn, I'm talking about :BS. Different people have different sense of smell and taste. And when I say dirt..it's just a very rich earthy flavor. Perhaps it's perfectly "fertilized" soil  It's often accompanied by salt.


----------

